Life Owed
by WhiteWolf74
Summary: Harry and Ginny's life after the Battle of Hogwarts. A couple of hurdles and a couple of questions, but everything, they decide, will be done together. Some slight alterations to the plot.


_This was an overdue request from dudeurcool789._  
 _Set after the battle of Hogwarts, I've changed couple of things around, to the way that I believe things should have ended (but I love J.K. Rowling's ending and I respect her so...)  
_ I don't own Harry Potter.

Life Owed

It was an eerie quite, Voldemort was gone, but so were so many innocents. After a battle that raged for hours, it was silent. Alone, one boy stood in the middle of a courtyard, one that once represented happiness and calm, now covered with death and cruelty.

Harry dropped his wand, it was over. Ginny came running up to him, he collects her in his arms, breathing in Ginny Weasly's distinct scent, they both let out a breath. They break apart, people are rushing into the courtyard from all directions, the boy who lived beat the darkest wizard since Grindewald. Students, teachers and the Order of the Phoenix stood in a large circle witnessing the interaction between the young couple.  
"He's gone," Ginny tells him "Fred's gone" Harry pulls her form against his chest. She is not weak, she is human, and the pain in her eyes is unbearable,  
"I'm sorry Ginny, I'm so sorry." He tells her. They stay in the tight embrace for what seems like hours.  
"We should go somewhere else." He says. The crowd in the courtyard has grown, all eyes are on the pair.  
"Ok, but one more thing" she responds. She reaches up and fits her lips to his, the kiss is sweet and hard, and reassuring, everything they need at that exact moment. When they break apart, Harry slings his arm over Ginny's shoulders, both of them too exhausted to be able to stand without assistance.

 **P/B  
**  
"Did I ever tell you how glad I am that you beat him?" Ginny asks, Harry shakes his head,  
"Tell me, no, show me, yes" he smiles.  
"What are we going to do?" she asks.  
"About what?"  
"Us."  
"Are we an us?"  
"I want to be" she replies,  
"Me too"  
"But, as much as I want to, I won't give up my life to be with you Harry. I won't be some housewife sitting at home wasting my life, letting the man do everything." He envelops her in his arms,  
"I would never expect you too. You should know that Gin." He tells her, "I want you to follow you dreams."  
"Good, because that's what I want for you too."

 **P/B**

It took a couple of months, but by early June, Hogwarts had been rebuilt. Harry had come to see the memorial hall that had been built in remembrance to all those that were lost on that fateful night. One of the portraits had told Harry that Headmistress McGonagall wanted to see him before he left, giving Harry the password required to get past the gargoyle.

"You wanted to see me professor?" Harry asks as he walks into the newly rebuilt headmistresses office.  
"Potter." McGonagall says, her voice wavers, yet her tone is kind, "Oh Potter," To his surprise she collects him in her arms and holds him there, he too wraps his arms around her frail frame.  
"Professor" he says once they have parted, "are you okay?"  
"I should be the one to ask you that question." she states. "But instead I have a different question for you, a request actually, and I understand if you say no."  
"I'll do it." He interrupts, he owes this woman his life a dozen times over, he wants to at repay her as much as possible.  
"You haven't even heard my request yet." she reminds him,  
"If you're asking, then I will do it. I owe you that much." he tells her,  
"You don't owe me a thing Potter."  
"What was your question Professor?" He asks,  
"If you wouldn't mind, I would like nothing more than if you were to teach the students here at Hogwarts" she beams,  
"Teach?"  
"Yes, Defence against the Dark Arts. Now, I understand if you say no,"  
"I'll do it, in fact I would love to. But, would I be allowed to?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean, I haven't even graduated yet professor, I haven't done any of seventh year, I don't have any experience"  
"Nonsense, you just defeated you-kno-Voldemort," she corrects herself, "you have more experience than the rest of the school combined. As for finishing your seventh year I believe that you have a strong reason for it, after all, you weren't slacking off."  
"But professor-"  
"Yes or no Harry? Whatever the answer is I require it."  
"I'll do it." He told her, before turning to leave.  
"Thankyou Harry." She tells him. He turns around to face her, smiling,  
"Thankyou professor, for everything."

 **P/B**

"Hey Ginny, I'm home." He calls as he walks through the door of the apartment where he and Ginny now reside.  
"Harry! You'll never guess what happened!" she shouts as she comes bundling down the hallway. She runs towards his arms, "They want me!"  
"Who want you Gin?" he asks,  
"The Holyhead Harpies. The coach came over today and said that he watched me play one of the game last year, and wanted to recruit me!" her smile was so bright that Harry instantly smiled too. They were both excited, Ginny had always wanted to play Qudditch professionally, over the past few years, that seemed less and less likely, but now, there was nothing she wanted more.  
"That's fantastic Ginny! I'm so proud and happy" he responds happily, hugging and kissing her with everything that he has.

It takes over an hour, but eventually the young couple calmed down enough from the amazing news, to be laying down on their couch, snuggled close against each other.  
"How was the hall?" she asks him.  
"It was fitting," he tells her. "It wasn't grand or shiny, or even beautiful, it was exactly the way it should be, it was personal, yet it was for everyone."  
"I'm glad"  
"McGonagall wanted to talk to me."  
"What did you do now? You can't even go a day without breaking some kind of school rules, now can you?" she expresses, he chuckles.  
"Nah, she offered me a job teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts."  
"Smart."  
"I agreed. I know that we promised each other to talk to each other and discuss everything before we made any big decisions but I owe her my life Ginny." he explains.  
"I understand Harry, I think everyone owes her their lives."  
"It's going to be so weird sitting at the teachers table" he muses,  
"Then don't, sit down at the Gryffindor table instead" she suggests,  
"Good thinking."

 **A/N Please Review, I want to know what I can improve on. As always constructive criticism is welcome.  
Sorry, this isn't any where close to my best work.  
** **WhiteWolf74 xx  
**


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